Ryan Tate

Think back an hour or so to the iPad unveil. Jobs is on stage. He reveals his tablet, and then the price, $499, to rabid applause from everyone. Everyone, that is, except people who knew better.

A few people, we're told, had been working with Apple on iPad-related products and services . When Jobs' big "$499" slide came up, they were, according to someone close to their operation, surprised and angry, since they had been told there would be a different number on that slide: $399, low enough to stupefy the world and nuke the netbook market. Alas, Apple went another way, whether due to manufacturing costs or profit considerations, we have no idea; if you can shed more light — or can shoot down this rumor entirely — you know how to reach us.